So, I have had my english/american bulldog, Roxy for about 4.5 years, and am looking into adopting another dog. I have already found one that is great and am getting the paperwork and kinks taken care of, but I am starting to feel guilty instead of excited. I am mainly getting this dog to provide Roxy some companionship, as well as because I want another dog. Anyways, I am feeling like Roxy will feel like she's being replaced, and I don't know how to take it. Who else has been here before, or has had to introduce a new pet? How did it work out?

7/14/2006 1:03:58 AM

introduce them in a nuetral location.

Roxy will probably enjoy the company of another dog. they're pack animals by nature.
unless they're both alphas or just dont get along it should be fine.

i started with one, got him a buddy to keep him company a year later. now i have 5....

7/14/2006 1:14:55 AM

are they both females?

7/14/2006 1:26:26 AM

As stated above, introduce them in a neutral zone. Preferably even, introduce them at the shelter/house/wherever you're getting the other dog from just to make sure they don't hate each other. I've found that most dogs love having a companion. However, I HIGHLY recommend getting a male. With two females, even spayed, you will have nothing but constant power struggles with lots of humping. Firstly though, do you know if Roxy even likes playing with other dogs?

7/14/2006 5:09:49 AM

I don't think she will feel replaced. Most dogs enjoy dog companionship. Dogs do get jealous though, so make sure that when you get your new dog that you spend alone time with each dog as well as time with both dogs together. Do not show favoritism. Please don't adopt a female. It is best to always get the opposite sex. Once you have a multiple dog household, (more than 2 dogs) then you worry about having 2 females or 2 males. If you do get another female, try to make sure you get one that is either a lot younger or a lot older than your current dog and their isn't a personality conflict (2 alphas). good luck!

7/14/2006 7:29:10 AM

I thought our cat would feel that way when we brought home a dog

turns out she did, but she got over it

7/14/2006 7:39:26 AM

oh yeah, if you are adopting a dog from the rescue tell them to help you introduce the 2 dogs. They should be familiar with how to do it properly and safely. If they do fight, remember to stay calm and that usually it is just a bunch of noise and slobber.

good luck

7/14/2006 8:12:40 AM

Thanks, everyone.

The dog I am adopting is a little Pomeranian, who is around 7 years old, so slightly older than Roxy. She is female, and the woman at the animal rescue found her walking in the woods all alone. She's bowlegged and pigeontoed from the breeders keeping her in too small of a pen, and the woman thinks they abandoned her, and she also lost 8 teeth when they were cleaning them. Both animals are spayed. She said the dog has a very nice temperment and is not yappy like most small dogs, but she's quiet and mostly a lap dog...Roxy's quiet and would be a lap dog, but she won't fit, so she sleeps in my bed

I'm really hoping everything goes well. When we got a beagle puppy a year or so ago (he got stolen...long story), my dad put some of his cologne on the dog so that Roxy would get a sense that the beagle belonged to us, too. However, we introduced them in the living room, but they pretty much got along, with the exception of the fact that he always bit Roxy's ears. What do you suggest for a neutral location - the street in front of our house?


This is her:


[Edited on July 14, 2006 at 8:48 AM. Reason : picture]

7/14/2006 8:48:30 AM

good job

7/14/2006 9:39:52 AM

I know nothing about dogs...but I'm guessing that the neutral location is so that neither dog trys to "defend" their territory.

7/14/2006 9:42:46 AM

umm... just out of curiosity, what is a bulldog going to do with a 7 year old pomeranian?
I only ask because you said you were mainly getting her to provide Roxy companionship.
that is a really strange match. Please keep us posted if it works out.
Either way, both dogs are adorable!

7/14/2006 9:52:40 AM

I introduced my two guys in a neutral location and that might have been a bad idea - because the new female had already asserted herself as an alpha outside in the neutral territory, yet my male was always alpha in the house. That made for a hellish first week. A good friend of mine who has 4 dogs did that the first time they brought home another dog and kind of experienced the same thing... but the next two she just brought in the home where they could meet the existing dogs in their territory and knew that they were alpha before they came home. (she said it has worked well for her this way). Who knows. After that initial first week, they were fine together.

Oh, and a bulldog with a pomeranian isn't too odd - I've got an English Bull Terrier here with a Scottish Terrier (c;

7/14/2006 10:07:19 AM

It doesn't always have to be neutral territory. My dog is an alpha female who is real bad at meeting dogs on leash. Every time I bring home a new dog (several times a month), I do this same routine and it works for me. Keep in mind that every dog is different. I keep the new dog leashed and then get my husband to let my dog out of the house. She will run up to the new dog and establish dominance and then they play. good luck introducing them. oh yeah, did the rescuer say how the pom does with other female and/or male dogs? that would help.

7/14/2006 10:18:17 AM

Quote :

"Do not show favoritism"

You should absoulutely show favortism. Your first dog should be the dominant one, and you should reinforce that behavior. You are (or should be) the alpha of the pack. Next in line should be the first dog, and you should allow for her to be dominant over the new dog. Dogs aren't like people and if you treat them equally, they will hash out dominance theirselves, and it probably won't be plesant for you.

I have two dogs. the first i got about 2 years ago, and the second about 1 year ago (both as puppies). I always tried to facilitate marley (the first and oldest dog) being dominant (allowing her to eat first, get treats first ect...). Now they get along fine, they both know their position in the pack.

7/14/2006 11:11:28 AM

i agree that the human should be the alpha but all other animals in the pack are #2. The human doesn't choose who is dominant over the other. they decide that on their own. People that make that decision for the dogs, usually cause more problems for the dogs. It is one thing if you already have a dominant dog and you adopt a dog with a submissive personality. The human can't take 2 dogs of equal dominance and say, "ok you are going to be the dominant one and you will be the submissive one". If you show favoritism you WILL cause problems among the dogs. any dog psychologist/behavioralist will tell you that.

7/14/2006 11:34:51 AM

it's worked great for me. Otis, the 2nd dog sometimes wants to be dominant (trying to hump, trying to steal marley's treats/bones ect...). when he is displaying this behavior, he gets crazy wild (not to mention marley getting overly aggressive trying to keep her position). Everytime I see this behavior, i try and reassert his postion in the pack. and he goes from being crazy wild while he is trying to be dominant, to calming down a lot and being submissive, and marley stops being aggressive toward him. if you let dogs sort it out theirselves, there is probably going to be considerable fighting (especially if both dogs want to be dominant like mine do).

Also, if you read/watch about wolf packs, the alpha male and female have alot of the say as to the hierarchy of the pack.

7/14/2006 11:44:24 AM

Well, everything is final and I am going to adopt her tomorrow morning!!

But...what to name her? The name the lady gave her was Barbie, and that's ok, but I want something a little different. I am trying to decide between:

Barbie, Francesca (sound good with Roxy), Dolce and Charlotte (the place where I am getting her from).

7/14/2006 3:05:53 PM

charlotte is a great name make sure you have a crate for her initially since she is going on new turf . her crate can be like her safe place until she feels comfortanble in her new home

7/14/2006 11:24:32 PM

my sister just got a dog like that...

i pretty much agree with most of what's been posted

7/14/2006 11:28:26 PM

Actually, the lady who "rescued" her thinks she was probably kept in a pen for most of her life, which is why she is pigeontoed and bowlegged. For this reason, I don't think it's a good idea to put her in a crate, she'd probably get upset and associate me with her old owners.

7/15/2006 12:59:47 AM